ith regret, it was not any regret
for the horrid fate they were likely to meet with, but solely on account
of the pecuniary loss he would sustain by their destruction!

I feel certain that, up to the moment when their future plans had been
fully discussed and agreed upon, not one of that reckless crew had given
thought to the situation of the blacks. Had these human beings been so
many head of cattle, they could not have entered less into the
calculations that had been made; for they were not considered at all.
Not one drop of water had been apportioned to their use. No suggestion
of such a thing had been afforded--it would have been ridiculed as
preposterous.

It was only after everything had been settled, that mention was made of
them. Then a rough fellow cried out, in a tone of mock surprise, that
smacked of a disgusting levity:--

"Thunder an' 'oun's! what's to be done with the niggers!"

"Ay, ay," shouted several, in a breath; "what is to be done with 'em?
There's no water for them--that's sartin."

"Why, what can be done?" responded an inhuman monster. "Chuck 'em
overboard!"

"Dunder an' blitz!" exclaimed a ferocious German, who appeared pleased
with the idea; "dhat is de besht blan--wees not can do petter dhan to
glear 'em out from de sheep."

"_Pe Gar_!" cried the Frenchman, Le Gros, "it be von great big drown--
von grand splash in ze vater--_Sacr-r-r-e_!"

I cannot describe the feelings I had in listening to this conversation.
These men were actually serious, and yet jesting. It is almost too
horrid to be credible, and yet it is true!

But they were serious--I knew they were--and I expected every minute to
hear that this horrible suggestion was adopted, and that the blacks were
to be thrown overboard!

But the villains were not unanimous; and for a length of time they
continued to discuss the question in the same half-serious, half-jocular
way. It was awful to listen to that inhuman debate!

The slave-captain's wishes, however, were opposed to throwing his cargo
overboard; and, notwithstanding the mutinous disposition of the men, he
had still authority enough to carry the point. He was obliged however,
to humiliate himself by resorting to argument. His speech was
characteristic; and throughout the whole of it, there was not one word
about humanity.

He alleged that the niggers could only die, anyhow, and a few days could
make no difference to them. Neither could it signify to them (the c